NSC urges end to South Sudan conflict

The White House is continuing to express concern over violence in South Sudan, issuing a statement late Tuesday urging an end to the conflict and warning leaders they will be held accountable for their actions.

National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said that the White House is “deeply concerned by the fragile situation in South Sudan,” where ethnic violence has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people since mid-December, according to an Associated Press estimate.

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Hayden urged South Sudan’s president and former vice president to work to end the conflict and praised an agreement to mediated talks.

“We continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to stabilize the situation and permit full humanitarian access to civilian populations, which remain in dire need of assistance,” Hayden said.

She continued with a warning.

“The United States will deny support and work to apply international pressure to any elements that use force to seize power. At the same time, we will hold leaders responsible for the conduct of their forces and work to ensure accountability for atrocities and war crimes,” Hayden said.

The U.S. has evacuated hundreds of Americans and others from the country and has moved troops and aircraft to the country and surrounding region for security support.

Just before leaving for his vacation in Hawaii, where he remains, President Barack Obama issued a statement calling on South Sudan’s leaders to exercise their “choice” to end the violence and resolve the issues peacefully.

On Tuesday, Hayden warned that reports of human rights abuses by the government of South Sudan and anti-government militias, if true, would be “unacceptable.”

“Human rights abuses against the civilian population are unacceptable under any circumstances, and every new human rights abuse makes South Sudan’s path toward reconciliation more difficult,” Hayden said. “It is vital that all South Sudanese reject these acts of violence — and that all South Sudanese leaders call upon their forces to protect civilians — and that there be accountability for those who fail to heed these calls.”